


Promise Me

by Wildjinx



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Infidelity, Light Angst, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:41:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3113369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildjinx/pseuds/Wildjinx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only thing harder than Jongdae leaving is the moment when he returns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise Me

**Author's Note:**

> This should have been posted AGES ago.
> 
> Originally written for Baeklights for the LJ community Yeolliepopday. Also, please do not take the warnings too seriously, it's actually not as bad as it seems. OTL

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Big boys don’t cry. Chanyeol’s been told that princes aren’t supposed to cry either but despite being one, he’s still three seconds away from bawling his eyes out. He can’t help it.  
  
The grown ups are taking Jongdae away from him and Chanyeol’s too young to understand the reason behind their actions. “Mama, it’s not fair,” he whines, tugging on the fabric of her silk dress while they watch the servants load up Jongdae’s things into a big black SUV. “I don’t want him to go.”  
  
The queen bends down to gather her son into her arms. “I know, sweetheart,” she says gently, running her hands down his back. It makes him feel a bit better but does nothing to soothe the growing ache in his chest. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do without Jongdae around. “But there are people who want to hurt Jongdae–”  
  
“No!” Chanyeol interrupts. “No one is allowed to hurt Jongdae, I won’t let them. I’ll protect him, Mama. Just don’t take him away.”  
  
Chanyeol’s mother smiles sadly at him. “We have to,” she tells him. “I’m sorry my love, but if you don’t want Jongdae to get hurt then he has to go where the bad men can’t find him.”  
  
“But–”  
  
“No buts. It’s for his own good.” She says, gently brushing away the tears that stream down his cheeks with her thumbs. “He’ll be back when you’re both all grown up,” she promises. “And you can marry him then.”  
  
Chanyeol takes a shaky breath. “But I want to marry him now,” he says stubbornly, more tears spilling down from his eyes.  
  
“I know.” She straightens up when everything is just about finished being packed into the vehicle and the guards looking after Jongdae bring him out to the car.  
  
“Jongdae,” Chanyeol chokes out when he spies his best friend. It’s the last chance he gets to see Jongdae in a really long time. It feels like forever and he already misses Jongdae terribly even though he is standing just a few feet in front of him.  
  
Jongdae turns at the sound of his name and when he sees Chanyeol he breaks into a run, launching himself into the prince’s arms. Chanyeol hugs him tightly and when he pulls away, Jongdae tries to lean back into his touch. It’s super cute but he resists drawing Jongdae back into his arms because of his mother’s words.  
  
“Chanyeol?” Jongdae sniffles, blinking up at Chanyeol in confusion. He looks as about as upset as Chanyeol feels. The urge to hug Jongdae until he stops crying is overwhelming but Chanyeol resists because he has to be strong. “I don’t want to leave.”  
  
“It’s just for a little while,” Chanyeol says. About twelve years, only two times the amount of years Chanyeol’s already lived so far, no big deal. He really hopes the time will fly by and that Jongdae will be back before Chanyeol even notices that he’s gone. Except it feels like Jongdae is taking a piece of Chanyeol with him when he goes.  
  
“It’s too long,” Jongdae complains, his eyes filling up with tears again. Chanyeol wants to cry too but he holds his tears back, despite the burning behind his eyes. Instead he pulls off a ring from his finger and holds it up in front of Jongdae’s nose. “What is that for?”  
  
“For you,” Chanyeol says, poking him with the ring. Some of the jewels encased in the silver band catch the light and sparkle prettily. It was a birthday present from his mother, but Chanyeol thinks it’ll look better on Jongdae’s finger.  
  
“It’s pretty,” Jongdae says, the corners of his mouth pulling up slightly in an almost smile.  
  
“It’s our engagement ring,” Chanyeol decides. He grabs Jongdae’s hand and pushes it onto the first finger. It’s too big. Chanyeol tries all of Jongdae’s other fingers, even the ones on his other hand and his thumbs too, but it doesn’t fit any of them. Jongdae giggles softly when Chanyeol makes a noise of frustration. He gives up trying to make Jongdae wear it and stuffs the ring into the palm of Jongdae’s hand instead, forcefully closing his fingers into a fist around it. “There. Now you have to come back and marry me.”  
  
“I will,” Jongdae agrees.  
  
“You can’t forget me,” Chanyeol says. Don’t cry.  
  
Jongdae shakes his head. “I’ll never forget.”  
  
Chanyeol holds up his hand, his pinkie sticking out. “Promise me,” he says very seriously.  
  
Jongdae hooks his smaller pinkie with Chanyeol’s. “I promise,” he says. “You can’t forget about me either!”  
  
Jongdae’s things have finished being packed into the SUV and the guards come to collect Jongdae as well. Chanyeol gives him one last hug and leaves a kiss on his cheek. “I won’t forget,” he swears.  
  
  
  
It’s not the same without Jongdae by his side but Chanyeol’s life goes on. He still has to go to school and there are family dinners every night (even though the king doesn’t always attend). The castle is quieter in the afternoons now that Chanyeol doesn’t have anyone to play with but he keeps himself busy with the mountain of toys he has in his playroom.  
  
By the time a few months pass, Chanyeol is used to playing by himself. Sometimes he manages to convince Yoora to join him but she only wants to do boring girl things like play house or dress up, and Chanyeol refuses to let her Barbies join his G.I Joes. She’s not too good at driving either and she wrecks a number of Chanyeol remote controlled cars while she was supposed to be racing him.  
  
So when Chanyeol’s mother comes into his playroom with another little boy trailing behind her, he doesn’t see him as a replacement for Jongdae, he just sees someone new to play with.  
  
“This is Baekhyun,” his mother tells him, nudging the new boy further into the playroom. He’s short, but that’s okay because Jongdae was little too. “He’s the son of our new cook.”  
  
The boy is cute, with a bright smile and he’s not intimidated by the fact that Chanyeol’s a prince and he isn’t. “Do you want to race?” Chanyeol asks holding up two remotes for cars that Yoora hasn’t wrecked yet.  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
Three races (Chanyeol wins two of them), a marathon of Disney movies followed by a trip to the kitchen to steal chocolate chip cookies from Baekhyun’s father and Chanyeol thinks he just might have a new best friend.  
  
  
  
Chanyeol still misses Jongdae, but it’s more like he regrets that they didn’t grow up together like they were supposed to. There’s a picture of them together, taken when they were kids (shortly before Jongdae left) that sits on Chanyeol’s dresser. He looks at it every morning, but there’s not much he remembers about Jongdae anymore. His childhood best friend, the boy Chanyeol has been engaged to pretty much since he was still in his mother’s belly.  
  
These days, other than glancing at the photo a couple of times a day, Chanyeol doesn’t think about Jongdae much. Instead his head is filled with thoughts of Baekhyun, of how much Chanyeol likes him as more than just a best friend. In the back of his mind Chanyeol knows that he shouldn’t because he has a fiancé – even if he isn’t around anymore – but he can’t stop the feelings for Baekhyun from developing.  
  
  
  
The first time that Chanyeol acts on these feelings is when he’s sixteen. Baekhyun is sprawled on top of him as usual when they’re hiding up in Chanyeol’s room watching movies late into the night when they’re supposed to be asleep. Baekhyun claims that he isn’t afraid of anything but whenever Chanyeol puts on a horror movie he always snuggles closer, clings tighter and even hides his face in Chanyeol’s shoulder during certain parts of the movie.  
  
Tonight is another one of those nights. Halloween is fast approaching and Chanyeol insists that they need to watch as many scary movies as they can before the end of October. He doesn’t even remember the name of the DVD he popped into the player earlier, let alone what the movie is about (something to do with zombies?) but he doesn’t really care anymore. Not after the opening scene, where Baekhyun had climbed into his lap.  
  
“I thought you said you’re not afraid of anything,” Chanyeol teases, nudging Baekhyun’s shoulder with his own.  
  
“I’m not scared,” Baekhyun snaps, but he makes no move to leave from where he’s half on Chanyeol, half cuddled into his side. “I’m just cold, that’s all.”  
  
“Whatever you say, Baek,” Chanyeol murmurs. The sound of a shotgun going off fills the room from the movie and Baekhyun flinches, and then he tries to cover it up with a cough. Chanyeol just laughs at him as he reaches out to pull his blanket closer and settles it over them to humour Baekhyun.  
  
The more they watch of the movie, the scarier it gets. At one point Chanyeol notices that Baekhyun isn’t even watching it anymore, he’s just sitting on Chanyeol’s thighs, pointedly staring at anything but the TV. Chanyeol isn’t too interested in watching either, instead he chooses to focus on the way Baekhyun’s breath puffs out onto his neck. Every once in a while when Baekhyun shifts, his nose or lips tickle Chanyeol’s skin.  
  
Maybe it’s the leftover bit of alcohol in his system from that bottle of soju Baekhyun lifted from the kitchen or maybe it’s just because he’s a horny teenager. Either way, he wants Baekhyun and he is pretty sure that Baekhyun might want him too. His hand slides from Baekhyun’s waist, over his hip and down his thigh. Chanyeol lets his hand linger for a moment, then uses his fingers to caress Baekhyun’s inner thigh.  
  
Baekhyun stiffens a bit against Chanyeol’s body but he doesn’t pull away so Chanyeol takes it as a sign to continue. He leans down to brush their lips together experimentally. Chanyeol’s never kissed anyone before but Baekhyun’s lips are warm and soft against his and it feels nice so he figures he must be doing something right. Baekhyun doesn’t move against him but he does relax after a moment.  
  
Chanyeol pulls back slightly as screams from the forgotten movie play in the background. Baekhyun stares up at him, squirming a bit when Chanyeol’s hand moves closer to his crotch. He gasps, lifting his hips into Chanyeol’s palm for more.  
  
“What about your fiancé?” Baekhyun asks right when Chanyeol leans in to kiss him again.  
  
Chanyeol pauses. Jongdae. The image of that scared little boy looking back at him right before he steps into the van flashes in Chanyeol’s mind. The very moment where Jongdae left for what seems like forever. Chanyeol shakes his head to dispel the image from his thoughts and he tries to tell himself that it isn’t guilt he’s feeling. It can’t be. There’s no way he still has any feeling left for Jongdae. He consoles himself by imagining that Jongdae is doing the same thing right now. Chanyeol shouldn’t be expected to honour a promise he made ten years ago. It’s not realistic.  
  
Jongdae, he tells himself, is probably out kissing boys and experimenting too. There is no heart-stopping ache in his chest at the thought of Jongdae with someone else. Of _course_ not. Why would he still care about a boy he hasn’t seen since he was six? Or at least that’s what he wills himself into believing.  
  
“What about him?” Chanyeol counters eventually, his lips hovering over Baekhyun’s. “He’s not here right now. You are.” Chanyeol doesn’t waste any time pressing their lips together again to prevent Baekhyun from saying anything else.  
  
Baekhyun moans as Chanyeol grows bolder, his hand massaging Baekhyun’s dick through his jeans and kisses deeper. Lips slide together, tongues tease and teeth playfully nip at plump flesh as they explore each other’s mouths. For a split second Chanyeol thinks he’s done something wrong when Baekhyun pushes him away, but it’s only so Baekhyun can straddle his hips, grinding their half-hard cocks together as he leans back in to kiss Chanyeol again.  
  
Chanyeol’s hands on Baekhyun’s hips help guide him bouncing in his lap. His own hips lift off the bed to meet Baekhyun’s as he falls, rutting up hard and making Baekhyun gasp. Chanyeol palms Baekhyun’s ass, squeezing and massaging before he slips his hand up the back of Baekhyun’s shirt, his fingers caressing Baekhyun’s skin.  
  
It’s not long before Baekhyun’s gasping, his hips stuttering to a halt as he comes in his pants. Chanyeol grinds himself to completion against Baekhyun with bony hips digging into his. He’s probably got fresh bruises forming and his boxers are uncomfortable and sticky with come, but Baekhyun is lazily smiling up at him.  
  
For the first time since Jongdae was sent out of his life, Chanyeol doesn’t feel so alone. Baekhyun doesn’t quite manage to fill the Jongdae-shaped hole left in Chanyeol’s heart, but he does a pretty good job of hiding it.  
  
  
  
Nights when they used to waste the hours away by playing video games are gone. Now they spend their time kissing, mapping out each other’s bodies with warm fingertips and soft touches. Dry humping becomes handjobs that turn into blowjobs, which often leads to getting naked beneath the sheets. Chanyeol learns what it takes to have Baekhyun moaning his name, and how to make Baekhyun come with only his cock buried deep inside.  
  
  
  
Chanyeol doesn’t give a shit if anyone sees him hurrying across the lawn, on his way to the back of the property where the servants’ houses are. Baekhyun’s father lets him in without a word because it’s not the first time the prince has shown up on his doorstep. Chanyeol takes the stairs two at time up to the second floor and only knocks once before he lets himself into Baekhyun’s room. He finds Baekhyun by his dresser changing out of his clothes and into something to wear for bed. “Chanyeol?” He asks after he finishes pulling the shirt over his head. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I–” Chanyeol begins. He feels so lost, so vulnerable. It’s almost like that time him and Jongdae had been forced to separate, only now they’re supposed to be reunited. After twelve long years of being apart, Chanyeol’s fiancé is finally returning so they can wed. There’s no way Chanyeol is ready for it. “I needed to see you.”  
  
Baekhyun stares at him for a second with an unreadable expression. It makes Chanyeol even more nervous because usually he can always tell what Baekhyun is thinking. “Your fiancé will be here tomorrow,” Baekhyun says, turning his back on Chanyeol to drop his shirt into the hamper with the rest of his dirty laundry. “You shouldn’t be here.”  
  
A few days ago Chanyeol’s mother had announced a surprise for his eighteenth birthday. Chanyeol and the neighbouring country’s missing prince are to be reunited. _Tomorrow_.  
  
Chanyeol wraps his arms around Baekhyun’s waist from behind. “I don’t want him here,” he says stubbornly, hiding his face in Baekhyun’s soft hair. “I don’t want to marry him. I want to–”  
  
 _I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you_. Chanyeol leaves the rest of the words unsaid, even though Baekhyun probably knows exactly what he was about to say.  
  
He’s shaking slightly when his hand finds the waistband of Baekhyun’s pants. He teasingly dips his fingers in and Baekhyun’s hips twitch for more even as he shakes his head no. “We can’t do this anymore,” he whispers as Chanyeol undoes the button of his slacks and slides the zipper down. Baekhyun’s words say no but he’s beginning to swell from Chanyeol’s fingers stroking him. It helps that after two years of fooling around that Chanyeol knows just how to touch him, where to press, how hard to twist to get Baekhyun riled up.  
  
“One last time,” Chanyeol pleads, leaving a trail of wet kisses down Baekhyun’s neck. He gently licks up the skin of Baekhyun’s neck and with his free hand he pushes Baekhyun’s face toward him. “Please, Baek. I need you.” He knows he’s won when the tension in Baekhyun’s body melts as their lips come together.  
  
Clothes fall to the floor as they make their way to the bed and Chanyeol spends the next couple of hours losing himself in Baekhyun’s body.  
  
  
  
By the time they’ve finished cleaning up, Baekhyun lets Chanyeol crawl back into his bed and wrap himself around him. Chanyeol stares at nothing, he just holds on and tries not to think about what it’s going to be like when he wakes up tomorrow morning.  
  
When Chanyeol’s alarm goes off an hour later and Baekhyun kicks Chanyeol out of his bed. Chanyeol dresses in silence and he kisses Baekhyun one last time, putting all his emotions, all his regrets, everything he’s left unsaid into that kiss. A goodbye kiss. He knew from the beginning that they’d have to end whatever was between them sooner or later. He just didn’t expect it to hurt so much.  
  
Chanyeol picks up the picture of him and Jongdae from his dresser when he gets back to his own room. He glares down at the photograph, at the two boys staring happily into the camera and smiling innocently back up at him. The glass holding the picture in the frame shatters against the wall when Chanyeol throws it across the room.  
  
He doesn’t get any sleep that night.  
  
  
  
The next morning passes in a blur. Getting up, getting dressed, breakfast, preparations for Jongdae’s arrival, then lunch. Chanyeol doesn’t remember much of it, he’s just blindly going through the motions. When he’s given a bit of free time in the afternoon, Chanyeol returns to his room only to find that the broken picture frame had been cleaned up. The picture, in a shiny new frame, sits exactly where it always has. Chanyeol is seriously tempted to throw it again but he doesn’t.  
  
Chanyeol makes himself scarce when Jongdae arrives at the palace, but his luck on avoiding his fiancé runs out when his mother insists they have a quiet, romantic dinner for two. Chanyeol wants to protest but he quickly shuts his mouth when he sees the look she gives him. The look that say he is a prince and until he is crowned king, he will do as he’s told. Chanyeol holds his tongue and agrees to whatever she says.  
  
Jongdae is already seated at the table when Chanyeol enters the one of the smaller dining rooms. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but the gorgeous man sitting at the opposite end of the table definitely wasn’t it. Jongdae smiles and it lights up the room, just like it used to when they were kids. He stands and bows low as Chanyeol approaches the table.  
  
After the formalities are out of the way, they sit down in silence. A few servants trickle into the room, one girl lights the candles on the table and dims the overhead lights as she leaves, another sets napkins and utensils on the table. Chanyeol and Jongdae continue to stare at each other. Chanyeol wants to say something, anything to break the awkward atmosphere that has formed between them but he can’t, for the life of him, think of anything to say.  
  
He’s saved from having to think of anything when their dinner arrives. A man Chanyeol recognizes as one of Mr. Byun’s assistants walks into the room, balancing two trays loaded with all different kinds of exotic food. He serves Jongdae first, setting the meal in front of him before doing the same for Chanyeol and then he quietly bows out of the room.  
  
The room falls silent once more but at least with his meal in front of him, Chanyeol has something else to focus on instead of just counting the seconds as they pass. Chanyeol digs into his meal right away and he glances up at Jongdae for a moment when he realizes that his fiancé hasn’t moved a muscle.  
  
Jongdae is staring off into space, somewhere in the vicinity of the middle of the table, as he fiddles with a silver chain that hangs around his neck. Chanyeol clears his throat and it catches Jongdae’s attention at once. “Aren’t you hungry?” Chanyeol asks, gesturing to Jongdae’s untouched plate of food. The sooner they both finish eating, the sooner Chanyeol can get away.  
  
“Starving,” Jongdae confesses with a smile that falls flat after a moment. They don’t speak again until they’re both done eating. Chanyeol calls for a servant to escort Jongdae back to his room because he can’t bear to do it himself.  
  
Chanyeol spends the rest of the evening locked in his room and eventually falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
While Chanyeol does his best to completely ignore the existence of his future husband, it seems his mother is determined to find whatever reason she can to force them into the same room. It’s emotionally exhausting and Chanyeol finds himself retreating to the comfort and safety of his own bedroom whenever he can slip away unnoticed.  
  
Chanyeol misses Baekhyun. He not only misses the company, Baekhyun’s teasing and witty remarks, but he also misses the physical aspects of their relationship too. Not just the sex. He misses the kisses and being able to wrap his arms around someone. He’s been so used to having Baekhyun around that he feels completely alone without his best friend at his side.  
  
Chanyeol had skipped out on dinner earlier and when he wanders into the kitchen, it’s the first time in three weeks that he’d even seen Baekhyun. He forgets about his growling stomach when he overhears what Baekhyun and his father are talking about. An apprenticeship.  
  
“You’re leaving?” Chanyeol asks, startling the pair out of their private conversation. He stares directly at Baekhyun, an expression of hurt and confusion on his face.  
  
Baekhyun’s father looks at Baekhyun too. “You didn’t tell him?” he asks with a frown. Chanyeol’s pretty sure that Baekhyun’s father is the one person in the entire palace that knows about them. “Well, looks like you boys have things to talk about,” he says, making his way around Baekhyun toward Chanyeol and the exit. “I’ll take my leave.”  
  
“Were you just going to leave without telling me?” Chanyeol asks as soon as the door swings shut behind Baekhyun’s father.  
  
Baekhyun shrugs. “You’re not my boyfriend,” he says and the words hit Chanyeol like a ton of bricks.  
  
“But I am your best friend,” Chanyeol says softly.  
  
Baekhyun finally stops avoiding Chanyeol’s eyes and looks up at him. “Not anymore,” he says. “I can’t do this. I don’t want to stay here and watch you fall in love with him.”  
  
“Baekhyun–”  
  
“Don’t lie,” Baekhyun interrupts. “I know you, Chanyeol, and I know that you’re attracted to him. Hell, you probably still have feeling for him from when you were kids.” Chanyeol opens his mouth to deny it but Baekhyun punches him lightly on the shoulder. “No lying.”  
  
“I’m not ready to get married,” Chanyeol says instead.  
  
Baekhyun smiles, a soft, sad smile. “When you are,” he says with a sigh, “you’ll be more than happy to walk down the aisle with _him_.”  
  
Chanyeol doesn’t comment on the fact that Baekhyun can’t even say Jongdae’s name and he doesn’t blame him. Baekhyun shakes his hand and leaves him alone in the kitchen but not before warning him to treat his fiancé well or else.  
  
  
  
Chanyeol wants to resent Jongdae for leaving and then showing up in his life again out of nowhere, but he can’t because it wasn’t Jongdae’s fault. Neither of them wanted to be separated. It could have just as easily been Chanyeol that was sent away if he had been the one that the terrorist group had targeted instead.  
  
And now that Baekhyun’s gone, Chanyeol doesn’t feel anything anymore. A numbness has settled into his bones and refuses to leave. For the first couple days after sending Baekhyun off, Chanyeol spends most of his time in the kitchen watching Baekhyun’s father prepare meals but after a while that starts to hurt too much, reminding him of what he can’t have.  
  
Before Chanyeol knows it, the date that his mother set for his and Jongdae’s Royal Engagement Party creeps up on him. He finds himself in the crowded ballroom of the palace, bored out of his mind while all kinds of Lords and Ladies try to chat him up. He’s given a countless number of insincere congratulations on his engagement and he accepts them with just as much enthusiasm. Honestly, he doesn’t know what his mother was thinking, throwing a party for his engagement that the whole country has known about for the past eighteen years. It’s seriously old news but everyone is acting as if it was just announced yesterday. A shiny new piece of gossip for everyone to talk about.  
  
Most of the guests are easy enough to get away from after a moment or two but there’s one in particular that Chanyeol has been stuck with for a while. Some fat, balding duke that Chanyeol can’t remember the name of talks both his ears off and Chanyeol can’t even tell if he’s being congratulated for his engagement or getting hit on. The man seems oblivious to Chanyeol’s obvious discomfort and continuously chats away, about subjects that Chanyeol has already stopping paying attention to.  
  
Chanyeol’s savour comes in the form of one Kim Jongdae. He walks to Chanyeol’s side like he belongs there, as if he does it all the time and hooks his arm with Chanyeol’s. “Sorry to interrupt,” Jongdae says smoothly, polite smile on his lips. “But I need to borrow my fiancé for a moment.”  
  
“Of course,” the duke says and they all exchange bows before Jongdae is pulling Chanyeol away by the arm.  
  
“You looked like you were about to die of boredom,” Jongdae explains in a whisper when they get far enough away from the duke without being overheard.  
  
“Thanks,” Chanyeol replies, eternally grateful that he didn’t have to endure such torture anymore.  
  
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around then,” Jongdae says, stepping out of Chanyeol’s personal space. He finds that he misses the warmth of Jongdae’s arm as soon as he pulls it away.  
  
“Wait.” Chanyeol grabs Jongdae by the wrist before he can escape. Truthfully, he doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing but he feels like he’s got a lot to make up for. He’s been an ass for ignoring Jongdae for the past couple of weeks and Jongdae just went out of his way to _save_ Chanyeol from having to deal with that annoying duke. Maybe he’s been wrong about Jongdae.  
  
“Do you want to get out of here?” Chanyeol asks and then instantly regrets his choice of words. He inwardly cringes at how much that sounded like a line and he doesn’t know how Jongdae is going to react.  
  
Jongdae surprises him by laughing and it’s the first time Chanyeol has seen a real smile on his fiancé’s face. It reminds him of when they were kids, he used to be able to make Jongdae laugh like that all the time. Chanyeol wonders what it would have been like if they had not been separated. He wonders how different his life would be if he grew up loving Jongdae instead of Baekhyun.  
  
“This is _our_ engagement party,” Jongdae reminds him, with a teasing upward tilt to the corners of his mouth. “We’re the guests of honour and you want to ditch?”  
  
“I bet no one will even notice we’re gone,” Chanyeol shrugs.  
  
Jongdae eyes him suspiciously before glancing around the room. Both of their parents are busy entertaining all of the guests, it wouldn’t be too difficult to slip out unnoticed. If anyone tries to stop them on the way out, Chanyeol has excuses lined up. One of them can feign being ill or they could claim that they need to step outside for some air. Anything that will help them get away.  
  
“Alright,” Jongdae agrees and together they make their way to one of the exits, carefully avoiding eye contact with anyone else that wants to try and rub shoulders with royalty.  
  
  
  
Once Chanyeol gets him to open up, Jongdae is exactly like he remembers, but also very different. His smile and the way he laughs is definitely still the same. His mannerisms, however, have greatly changed. Of course they would have, he’s an adult now, so instead of hiding behind Chanyeol or his parents when he’s nervous, Jongdae fiddles with the chain around his neck or curls his fingers into the sleeves of his sweaters.  
  
Jongdae is undeniably cute and the more time Chanyeol spends with him, the more attractive he thinks Jongdae is. Maybe it’s because they spent six years of their lives together when they were kids and the feelings Chanyeol had back then are bubbling back to the surface of his mind. Or maybe it’s because Chanyeol knows that whether he likes it or not, he’d going to have to spend the rest of his life with Jongdae so he might as well get used to it now.  
  
But maybe it’s because Chanyeol kinda, sorta, maybe actually does _like_ Jongdae and wants to get to know him better.  
  
  
  
Chanyeol’s first kiss with Jongdae is nothing like the one he had with Baekhyun. Lately Chanyeol had been catching himself staring at Jongdae’s lips. The way they part slightly when he is a bit confused or anxious. The subtle up turn at the corners when Jongdae is not even smiling. Chanyeol knows more about Jongdae’s lips than he does about the back of his own hand and he craves to feel them against his own.  
  
Chanyeol has also picked up the habit of walking Jongdae back to his room every night rather than having a servant do it for him. He’s not entirely sure if what he feels for Jongdae goes beyond urges of lust or the need to fill the sense of loneliness Baekhyun left in his heart, but everyday Jongdae means a little bit more to him, and Chanyeol is just a bit reluctant to part with him at the end of the day.  
  
So instead of leaving Jongdae at his bedroom door like he normally does, Chanyeol steps closer. Jongdae looks up at him, a bit started at the close proximity and takes a step back. Chanyeol continues to advance on him until Jongdae’s back is pressed against the door.  
  
“Ch-Chanyeol?”  
  
Chanyeol’s eyes flicker down to Jongdae’s lips for a moment before he meets Jongdae’s eyes. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”  
  
Jongdae does nothing but blink up at him for a moment and Chanyeol takes that as a _no_. He backs off immediately, awkwardly rubbing his sweaty palm across the back of his neck and through his hair. “Sorry,” Chanyeol says, “I didn’t– I just thought–”  
  
“Chanyeol,” Jongdae says quietly, interrupting Chanyeol’s babbling to reach out and yank him back in with his hands fisted in the collar of Chanyeol’s shirt. Chanyeol follows willingly, putting his hands on either side of Jongdae’s waist to brace himself because Jongdae pulled him in too hard. Their faces end up only inches apart and Chanyeol can feel Jongdae’s warm breath against his cheek when he whispers, “Please kiss me.”  
  
Chanyeol dips his head down too fast because he’s way too eager to get a taste of the lips he’s been fantasizing about for the past couple of weeks. Jongdae’s mouth is soft and warm against his own, lips slightly parted and a little wet but it’s still a hell of a lot better than any daydream Chanyeol’s ever had.  
  
The soft press of their mouths together, the gentle suction of lips, Jongdae’s fingers sliding up the back of Chanyeol’s neck to curl into his hair. It’s too much, Chanyeol can feel the arousal building but at the same time it’s not enough, his own arms around Jongdae’s waist pulling them closer together as he deepens the kiss.  
  
The quiet, desperate whines that Jongdae makes as Chanyeol licks into his mouth are slowly driving him insane. Chanyeol presses him back against the wall and Jongdae responds by moaning and kissing him harder, his fingers tightening in Chanyeol’s hair. Chanyeol grinds their hips together just as Jongdae starts to gently suck on his tongue.  
  
With a start Chanyeol realizes that he’s half hard already and he can feel Jongdae’s growing erection as well, through the thick layers of their clothes. Shit. This is too fast, way too fast. Chanyeol had only meant to kiss Jongdae, not start a heavy make out session and dry hump him against the wall.  
  
Chanyeol reluctantly pulls away and Jongdae whines again, louder this time as he tries to reconnect their lips. Chanyeol chuckles softly, holding Jongdae at bay with both his hands cupping his cheeks. “Chanyeol,” Jongdae whispers and he looks so damn attractive, lips red and shiny with spit, that Chanyeol nearly dives right back in. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to do that.”  
  
Fuck.  
  
It takes all of Chanyeol’s willpower to lean in again and _only_ place one soft kiss on Jongdae’s pouting lips. He clearly wants more but Chanyeol can barely control himself at the moment, he wants Jongdae so bad. But it’s still too early, Jongdae’s only been back in his life for a few weeks.  
  
Chanyeol bids Jongdae goodnight, his lips brushing against Jongdae’s before he pulls away completely. Jongdae sounds breathless, wrecked even, as he says goodnight as well and disappears into his room.  
  
When he makes it back to his own bedroom, Chanyeol sheds his clothes on the way to his bathroom, intent on a long, hot shower to relieve some of the lingering tension and sexual frustration in his system. He thinks about soft lips and Jongdae’s hands in his hair as he wraps a hand around his erection and jacks himself to completion.  
  
  
  
Chanyeol finds it hard to keep his hands to himself after that. He always makes sure that Jongdae is close to him by hooking their arms together or with his hand on the small of Jongdae’s back. Jongdae doesn’t seem to mind the attention, in fact Chanyeol receives a radiant smile the first time he throws an arm around Jongdae’s shoulders and he couldn’t be happier.  
  
But at the same time Chanyeol’s falling too hard, too fast and he wonders if his feelings toward Jongdae are going to last or he is going to lose interest in the future. To Chanyeol it feels like what they have is closer to being new boyfriends instead of a couple that has been engaged for years.  
  
Preparations for their wedding get more hectic the closer it gets to the Big Day. Chanyeol really has no preferences about the wedding so he’s just as happy to let his mother and Jongdae plan the whole thing. However, he can’t get out of doing everything and eventually he gets dragged to a bakery for cake testing.  
  
They are left in their own little corner of the shop with a selection of fresh cakes to decide on what kind to use for their wedding cake. Chanyeol thinks there are too many choices and ones that have really needlessly long, complicated names.  
  
“This one is really good,” Jongdae says, talking about some super light and fluffy piece of cake he’s trying with some English name that Chanyeol can’t pronounce properly. “Here, try some.” He holds out his little plastic fork with some cake on it for Chanyeol to eat.  
  
But when Chanyeol leans in to take it directly off the fork, Jongdae laughs and pulls it out of the way. “Hey,” Chanyeol says and tries again. Jongdae’s too quick to him and the cake is out of his reach again.  
  
Jongdae smirks before popping it into his own mouth instead. “So delicious,” he practically purrs, licking the remaining icing from the fork. Chanyeol can think of a million and one better uses for that tongue but he pushes the thought aside because they’re in public. It’ll have to wait until they get back to the palace.  
  
Chanyeol doesn’t retaliate at first, he waits until Jongdae thinks that he’s won, giving him a false sense of security before he scoops up a chunk of the cake with his finger and smears it across Jongdae’s cheek. “Payback,” Chanyeol says at the indignant look that Jongdae gives him.  
  
Jongdae glares, reaching for a napkin to clean the dessert off his face but Chanyeol stops him with a hand on Jongdae’s arm. “Allow me,” he says, curling his other hand around the back of Jongdae’s neck to pull him in. He cleans up the mess he made by licking it off Jongdae’s cheek. “That is really good,” he says lowly, right into Jongdae’s ear when he’s done. “And the cake was okay too. We should go with that one.”  
  
Jongdae is blushing madly by the time Chanyeol pulls away. Chanyeol celebrates his victory with trying a different piece of cake.  
  
They end up choosing the flavour of the cake that Jongdae had been wearing on his cheek for their wedding cake.  
  
  
  
“You put cake on my face,” Jongdae complains later, when they’re back at the palace. He does a crap job of pretending to be mad, but he does avoid Chanyeol’s kisses and pushes away the hand that creeps up his thigh.  
  
“I cleaned it off,” Chanyeol teases. And Jongdae is putty in Chanyeol’s hands as he kisses along where he had attacked him with icing and cake. Jongdae sighs into the kiss when their lips meet, moaning softly and wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s neck. “You liked it.”  
  
“Maybe a little bit,” he admits as Chanyeol makes his way down Jongdae’s neck. Jongdae slides his hands up Chanyeol’s back and tangles his fingers into his hair, urging him back into another heated kiss.  
  
Moaning, Jongdae pushes Chanyeol back so he can crawl into his lap, thighs on either side of his hips. Chanyeol slips his fingers under Jongdae’s shirt, fingers caressing his skin but he doesn’t go any further than that. He pulls his hand away when he hears Jongdae sigh in frustration.  
  
“Chanyeol,” Jongdae says, panting against Chanyeol’s cheek. “What are you waiting for, our wedding night? Just touch me already.” He rolls his hips into Chanyeol’s to make a point. That he’s just as hard and wanting as Chanyeol is.  
  
“Fuck,” Chanyeol groans and he _finally_ allows himself to let his hands wander. Up across Jongdae’s belly, gripping his hips, anywhere he can reach. Jongdae continues to rock in Chanyeol’s lap, moaning against his lips as his own hands explore Chanyeol’s skin.  
  
Their bodies heat up fast and it hits Chanyeol that they’re way too overdressed for the amount of rutting going on. He is the first to do anything about it, lifting up the front of his own shirt, which Jongdae helps him remove. It is quickly discarded to the floor as they work on getting Jongdae’s over his head next.  
  
Chanyeol’s hands are all over Jongdae’s chest the second his shirt joins the other one. His skin soft and smooth, nipples dark and Chanyeol takes his time teasing and pressing before he moves over to the other.  
  
That’s when Chanyeol notices the silver and jewels that he almost catches on his fingers on the way by. He stops and stares at the small ring hanging from the chain around Jongdae’s neck. The ring he had given Jongdae as an engagement ring when he was six years old.  
  
“Jongdae,” he says, barely touching it with the tip of his index finger. “This is–”  
  
“Oh,” Jongdae says, sitting back on Chanyeol’s thighs, the ring clasped firmly in the palm of his hand. It reminds Chanyeol of that day, when he tried to put the ring on Jongdae’s fingers but failed because it was too big and Jongdae’s fingers were too little. Not much has changed, Jongdae’s hands are still pretty small.  
  
“You’ve been wearing it the whole time?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jongdae admits after a moment, suddenly looking so timid and vulnerable sitting in Chanyeol’s lap. “We made a promise…”  
  
“Oh, Jongdae.” Chanyeol feels a wave of guilt for not keeping up his end of the promise. He’s an asshole for not keeping his word when he was growing up but as he gathers Jongdae back into his arms and kisses him ever so softly, he vows to never even think of letting Jongdae go again.  
  
“I never forgot,” Jongdae whispers as their lips part. Chanyeol feels a terrible ache in his heart because he _did_ forget. Hell, he even wanted to. But there’s nothing he can do about it now except maybe make up for the lost time. “Chanyeol, please.”  
  
Jongdae holds on tight as Chanyeol moves him, gently settling him on his back in the middle of the bed. He starts at Jongdae’s neck and slowly works his way down, leaving a trail of kisses and licks in his wake. Chanyeol feels Jongdae shiver beneath him as he works on getting the button of his pants undone and slides them down his thighs.  
  
It’s the most beautiful sight that Chanyeol has ever seen, Jongdae naked and spread out on his bed, waiting to be touched. He quickly sheds the rest of their clothes before diving back in, kissing and stroking him until Jongdae is moaning his name.  
  
Chanyeol starts off slow, with one slick finger rubbing gently at Jongdae’s ass before carefully easing it inside. Jongdae is so unbelievably tight around his finger but eventually he gets Jongdae loose enough for another. Chanyeol adds more lube, slowly fucking Jongdae open with his fingers, and he loves every moan, every breathless whine that falls from Jongdae’s pretty lips.  
  
“Do you like that?” Chanyeol asks, as Jongdae starts rocking his hips in time with his fingers, forcing them even deeper inside of him. “Does that feel good?”  
  
“Yes,” Jongdae nods with one hand tangled in Chanyeol’s hair and the other wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him close. “Chanyeol, yes.”  
  
With three fingers deep, Chanyeol slowly increases the pace, making sure to press against that spot inside Jongdae that has him squirming and begging, _please, please, please_. He almost wants to see if he can make Jongdae come with just his fingers, but he wants to fuck Jongdae too much, his cock aching to be inside him.  
  
As soon as Chanyeol has rolled on a condom and slicked himself up, he’s back in between Jongdae’s legs. Using one hand to guide him, he moans as he sinks into Jongdae’s warm, tight body.  
  
“Are you okay?” Chanyeol ask, shallowly rocking in and out of Jongdae.  
  
“Yeah,” is Jongdae’s breathless answer. He squeezes around Chanyeol and bucks his hips up impatiently. “Chanyeol, come on. Just fuck me already.”  
  
Chanyeol eases out and pushes back in hard before Jongdae could even finish his sentence. He builds up a steady pace that has Jongdae moaning and dragging his fingers down Chanyeol’s back, urging him to go harder, faster, _deeper_.  
  
“Fuck, Chanyeol,” Jongdae whines and Chanyeol knows he’s found Jongdae’s prostate. He aims for that spot over and over again, fucking Jongdae open with long and powerful thrusts. It leaves Jongdae writhing against the sheets, trying desperately to keep up until Chanyeol pins his hips down to the bed and pushes into him harder.  
  
Chanyeol kisses along Jongdae’s neck and up to his ear. “Touch yourself,” he demands, voice low and husky. “Come for me.”  
  
Jongdae swears, turning his head to catch Chanyeol’s lips in an open-mouthed kiss as he pushes his hand between them to grab onto his leaking cock. Chanyeol’s hips start to lose their rhythm the closer he gets to coming but he’s determined to get Jongdae off first. He reaches up to grab Jongdae’s free hand and laces their fingers together. “Jongdae.”  
  
One more stroke of his own hand has Jongdae coming, moaning Chanyeol’s name as he makes a sticky mess between them. Chanyeol follows right after, fucking hard into Jongdae’s spent body before he blows his load into the condom.  
  
It takes a minute for Chanyeol to muster up enough strength to pull out and get off Jongdae so he can grab something to clean up with. Except Jongdae refuses to let go of his hand so Chanyeol ends up doing a half-assed job of wiping them down with his own shirt before he crawls back into bed. They can always get up later to shower together and right now the only thing Chanyeol really wants to do is cuddle with Jongdae in his arms until they both fall asleep.  
  
  
  
A week before the wedding, a letter arrives addressed to Chanyeol from Baekhyun. The first thing Baekhyun writes in the letter is an apology for not getting in touch with Chanyeol sooner. He needed time to heal and Chanyeol doesn’t blame him, he felt the same way.  
  
Baekhyun goes on and on, writing about what it’s like to live in a new country. How following in his father’s footsteps is a lot harder than he thought it’d be, but he still enjoys it. Baekhyun tells Chanyeol about the new friends that he’s made along the way and he even mentions a little bit about the new guy he’s dating.  
  
Chanyeol couldn’t be happier for his best friend. He’s glad that, like himself, Baekhyun has moved on with his life and found someone that will take good care of him.  
  
Baekhyun promises to come back to visit sometime during the end of the summer and at the very bottom of the letter, Baekhyun warns Chanyeol once again to treat his fiancé well or else.  
  
Chanyeol almost laughs out loud when he reads the threat. Baekhyun has nothing to worry about because Jongdae is the most beautiful person that Chanyeol has ever met and he has no plans of leaving his side any time soon. Or ever. Chanyeol is so completely in love with him.


End file.
